Tobacco.org

• Bar owners fear new anti smoking laws 

Bar owners are warning of a massive drop in customer numbers as a new anti-smoking law comes into effect tomorrow (Wed).

Local media have reported bar owners fear they could lose as much as 50 per cent of their customers as new laws mean that people will only be able to smoke on terraces or in specially designated rooms in bars and restaurants.

Media said hardly any bars have built or prepared special rooms for smokers.

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• Croat tobacco firm sees double-digit fall in sales 

Croatia's sole tobacco producer, TDR, said on Thursday it expected a double-digit fall in sales this year due to higher excise duties on local tobacco products, which the government imposed under EU pressure.

Earlier this month the government decided to end the preferential treatment of local tobacco manufacturers and tax local and foreign cigarettes equally, as part of its European Union accession drive.

The measure, under which excise duties on TDR's products rose 27 percent, will take effect on June 1.

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Croatia changes cigarette taxes to please EU  

Croatia decided on Tuesday to end preferential treatment for the country's sole tobacco manufacturer, which has angered the European Union, and tax local and foreign cigarettes equally.

Failure to give equal footing to foreign tobacco manufacturers and Tvornica Duhana Rovinj (TDR) ADGR.ZA, has for months blocked progress in the 'tax chapter' of Zagreb's EU accession talks.

TDR's market share in Croatia is 85 percent, while it takes some 27 percent of the market in former Yugoslavia where smoking is very popular.

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• Bill urges stiff fine, prison for ordering tobacco online  

With several cigarette tax increase proposals being considered in the Legislature, lawmakers are considering preventing people from ordering their tobacco from out of state.

Senate Bill 228, sponsored by Sen. Margaret Dayton, R-Orem, would allow individuals to purchase tobacco products only from vending machines or local stores.

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Jadrolinija ferry company bans smoking in indoor areas 

Croatian national ferry firm Jadrolinija has announced a ban on smoking in indoor areas on all their ferries, four months before the new law restricting smoking enters into force.

"We have imposed a ban on smoking in all Jadrolinija offices and on all our ferries", firm official Ante Mrvica told daily newspaper 'Slobodna Dalmacija.' Passengers have accepted our decision without question", he added.

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Smoking ban in public places enters into force in Croatia 

Anti-tobacco law that bans smoking in all public institutions as well as work places has entered into force as of yesterday in Croatia.

The legislation allows a six month transitory period for bars, restaurants and the tobacco industry to conform to it.

After that, smoking at bars will only be allowed on terraces, while restaurants can allocate a separate room for smokers, but the establishments cannot serve food or drink in these areas.

A warning about health risks caused by smoking will have to cover 40 percent of the back of a cigarette pack, the legislation stipulates.

Fines of up to 2,100 euros for individuals and up to 21,000 euros for entrepreneurs will be imposed on those violating the smoking ban.

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• New anti-smoking law enters into force 

The new Croatian anti-smoking law entered into force on 7 November. It will ban smoking in public places but provides for a six-month period of adjustment for restaurants and cafes.

All educational, health and social institutions, however, with the exception of psychiatric institutions, have to comply with the new law as of 7 November.

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• Murdered Croatia Journalist Pukanic Was Key Witness on Balkan Tobacco Mafia 

The Croatian journalist Ivo Pukanic, who was murdered in Zagreb on October 23, had been one of the main witnesses in a Balkan cigarette contraband investigation of the police in the Italian city of Bari, the Italian Prosecutor Guiseppe Scelsi announced as quoted by the Trieste newspaper Il Piccolo.

Scelsi expressed the alarm of the Italian prosecution over the assassination of the owner of the Croatian newspaper Nacional, who was also its Editor-in-Chief, because it was going to affect the investigation against the Balkan cigarette smuggling mafia.

The Prosecutor also pointed out that another journalist who was also a witness in the tobacco contraband case - the Editor-in-Chief of Montenegro's Dan Daily Dusko Jovanovic - had been murdered in Podgorica on May 27, 2004.

According to Scelsi, the current Prime Minister and former President of Montenegro Milo Djukanovic had also been investigated as potentially involved in the Balkan cigarette smuggling ring but the investigation against him would be terminated because of his diplomatic immunity.

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• Ban on smoking in public places in Croatia comes into effect  

A ban on smoking in public institutions and workplaces came into effect in Croatia on October 27 2008, while there is a six-month grace period for restaurants and bars to comply.

The tobacco industry in the country has six months to comply with a requirement to have health warnings on the backs of cigarette packets, covering 40 per cent of the area. Packets must also display graphic images of the consequences of smoking to discourage people from the habit.

Restaurants and bar will be allowed to permit smoking on terraces and may have separate smoking rooms, but no food or drink may be served in these rooms.

Breaking the law will carry huge fines

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• Smoking still thrives in Balkans, but for how long?  

Croatia -- where almost 13,000 people, the size of a small town -- die of smoking each year, became the first to take more concrete steps on Friday, when parliament passed a tough new anti-smoking bill.

The law banning cigarettes from all public places takes effect almost immediately, a move certain to displease almost one third of the European Union candidate country's 4.4 million people who smoke. Only cafe and restaurant owners will have a six-month transition period.

The law also restricts any smoking-related media campaigns.

"We want to do something for our health and catch up with European standards," Health Minister Darko Milinovic told parliament when presenting the bill this month. . . .

So, the ban is likely to improve quality of life here, but will almost certainly impact cafe owners, who depend very much on smoking clientele, but face a fine of up to 150,000 kuna ($28,180) if found in violation. . . .

Neighboring Serbia nominally banned smoking in public places in 1995 but the law has never been implemented and smokers can be seen everywhere in its sprawling capital Belgrade.

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Croatian Government Adopts Smoking Ban 

At its session on Tuesday, the Croatian government adopted the final bill on tobacco use.

The law bans smoking in all public areas, as well as the selling of tobacco products to persons under the age of 18 and the direct and indirect promotion of tobacco products.

Health Minister Darko Milinovic explained that the law did not define that employers had to secure a smoking area, but can do so, on condition that the area is not over 20 percent of the entire office.

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• Croatia moves to toughen anti-smoking law  

The Croatian government is to forward to the parliament a tough anti-tobacco bill introducing a public smoking ban, a minister said Thursday.

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"With the new law, we want to change people's (smoking) habits and protect non-smokers," Health Minister Darko Milinovic said.

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The bill, in line with standards of the European Union

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Croatia moves to toughen anti-smoking law 

The Croatian government is to forward to the parliament a tough anti-tobacco bill introducing a public smoking ban, a minister said Thursday.

"With the new law, we want to change people's (smoking) habits and protect non-smokers," Health Minister Darko Milinovic said.

The bill, in line with standards of the European Union which Zagreb aspires to join by 2010, envisages a smoking ban in all education, health and social institutions as well as work places.

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• No To Smoking, Yes To Cigarette Production 

ZAGREB, CROATIA - The law on Smoking ban in public, which will be included in Croatian Parliamentary procedure next week, should display the state`s concern for the health of smokers, as well as non-smokers. But, a question arises straight away, if the state really takes care of its citizens, why does it not ban the production of cigarettes in Croatia?

- Because three billion kuna (40,000,000 euro) go to the state budget from sale and production of cigarettes per year. Also, imagine the number of people that would loose their jobs - Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) member Andrija Hebrang had a ready answer.

He believes that banning production is not the answer, because it would simply be compensated with import.

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Tobacco purchase in Jaka Tabak 

Tobacco producer Jaka Tabak started with tobacco repurchase in Radov region, which is the second largest in Macedonia. There will be 8 spots of repurchase. 3,950 subcontractors are expected to provide 2,700 to 3,000 tons of "strong" kind tobacco. The tobacco is of the same quality as last year, but the yield is decreased by 10 to 15 percent due to draught.

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